Environment Directorate-General

The Directorate-General for the Environment is one of the more than 40 Directorates-General and services that make up the European Commission. Commonly referred to as DG Environment, the objective of the Directorate-General is to protect, preserve and improve the environment for present and future generations. To achieve this it proposes policies that ensure a high level of environmental protection in the European Union and that preserve the quality of life of EU citizens. The four priorities of the DG for the years 2002 to 2012 are climate change; nature and biodiversity; environment, health and quality of life; and natural resources and waste.

The DG makes sure that Member States correctly apply EU environmental law. In doing so it investigates complaints made by citizens and non-governmental organisations and can take legal action if it is deems that EU law has been infringed. In certain cases DG Environment represents the European Union in environmental matters at international meetings such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol and the United Nations Convention on Biodiversity. DG Environment operates also the Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC), the 24h 7/7 operational heart of the Community Mechanism for Civil Protection to facilitate co-operation in civil protection assistance interventions in the event of major emergencies in the EU and in third countries.

The DG also finances projects that contribute to environmental protection in the EU. Since 1992 some 2,600 projects have received some financing from LIFE, the EU's financial instrument for the environment.

• The Commission's environment priorities for 2002 to 2012 – the 6th Environment Action Programme

DG Environment has just under 750 staff working on environmental issues ranging from climate change to biodiversity, air quality, chemicals, waste, water and civil protection.

Every year the Directorate General makes public its priorities for the upcoming year and also publishes a yearly report on the preceding year's policy initiatives. 

• Organisation chart of the Directorate General for the Environment

• DG Environment Annual Management Plan for 2009 (pdf ~278K)

• Annual environment policy reviews

• Environment within the Strategic Objectives and Annual Work Programme of the European Commission

• Evaluating environmental policy

Improving environmental management at the European Commission

In 2008 DG Environment received its third EMAS (eco-management and audit scheme) registration. Since 2002 DG Environment and four other Commission services have taken part in a pilot project to improve the Commission's environmental performance through EMAS. Since the beginning of the project electricity and water consumption have gone down by 20 and 29% respectively. Emissions of CO2 have also decreased (22%) and so has the amount of waste generated (14%). By mid-2008 nearly half of Commission staff used public transport such as busses, trams, metro or the train.

In 2009 the Commission will be extending EMAS to all Commission services.

Documents

Press release - Practising what we preach: environmental management in the European Commission (November 2008)

EMAS statement (FR)